PubliCalendar GiveBIG Follow Up

We made sure you knew GiveBIG was Tuesday, May 6. And it went well.

GiveBIG has passed, but you can donate money to these and other nonprofits all year long

As the PubliCal reminded you (a lot) in advance, GiveBIG, the Seattle Foundation's one-stop shop fundraiser, was Tuesday.

Seattle Foundation reports this year’s earnings and number of donations surpassed last year by significant margins. There were 64,058 gifts for a total of $12.89 million to moew than 1,500 nonprofit organizations, beating 2013’s big day by $1.79 million and 10,000 gifts. The Foundation’s $1 million matching pool has yet to be divvied up amongst the nonprofits, so the numbers you’re about to read will be boosted a little higher as decisions get made.

In addition to hypig the three-dimensional fundraiser, we also made pitches on behalf of some of our favorite non-profits.

Here's how they did.

Futurewise and the Rainier Valley Food Bank each received over $30,000 in donations, nearly double Futurewise’s intake in 2013. Futurewise intends to use the cash to continue its work toward preventing Northwest farms and forests from being paved over. RVFB will be putting its dollars toward restocking the bank after a year in which a record number of people visited the bank- up 40% from 2012.

“I love that people wanted to say, hey, we remember you.”

The Northwest Film Forum exceeded its expectations in gaining $7,780 from 71 donors. Executive Director Lyall Bush appreciates the many small contributions and the several larger cash drops his organization received equally, particularly considering GiveBIG fell so soon after their annual fundraising gala Friday, May 2, saying, “I love that people wanted to say, hey, we remember you.”

Rob Johnson, the executive director at Transportation Choices Coalition, recognizes that the current debate over Metro funding, including the failure of Proposition 1, likely impacted his organization’s intake on Tuesday. 60 donors bolstered TCC’s coffers by $7,500, close to $2,000 more than ever before. Though Johnson and TCC have yet to determine the best course of action in the wake of Proposition 1’s demise, the donations will be used to help pass promising upcoming transit measures.

El Centro de la Raza and Mary’s Place Seattle also exceeded previous years’ donation levels, generating nearly $5,000 and $26,213, respectively. El Centro plans to use their funds on work to empower the Latino community, while Mary’s Place will use theirs to continue providing food, shelter, and other resources to homeless women and children.

With one $10,000 donation in the mix, the Sightline Institute raked in $29,000 from 126 donors— quite the chunk of change. The money will go toward the think tank’s efforts to make the Northwest a global model of sustainability.

Country Doctor Community Health Centers give healthcare to all– even the uninsured. Image via Facebook

Country Doctor Community Health Centers, which offers healthcare to all— regardless of insurance—at their three Seattle locations, took in $17,000. That's actually $4,000 less than they got last year. (Is Obamacare working?)

Development Director Emily Bader says this decrease won’t impact their overall budget for the year, as it was anticipated following a strategic decision to focus fundraising efforts on their year-end drive.

We have a call out to our other favorite non-profit in town, Legal Voice, to get their tally.